With the tragic passing of Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield earlier this month, and the subsequent postponement of our game with the Grecians, it will be Tranmere Rovers who make up the first contest.

The Daggers have yet to pick up a point from their opening two league fixtures and still seek their first goal. How that will be celebrated when it arrives! In fairness though, it’s been something of a baptism of fire for the Reds; away games against title favourites Sheffield Wednesday and League 2 champions Notts County, are more than a little tricky.

Yet all three encounters, including the 2-1 reverse at MK Dons in the League Cup, have been close-run affairs, showing the players are certainly not out of their depth at this level.

So to Saturday’s game, and if we pay much attention to the early league table, the pundits would have this down as a relegation six-pointer! With ourselves and Rovers 24th and 23rd respectively, both teams will sense a chance of grabbing all three points.

So, what of our opponents? Well, Tranmere have had a mixed start to this campaign. An opening day defeat to Oldham Athletic was followed up with a commendable point at Huddersfield Town. Since then a 1-0 victory at League 1 rivals Walsall in the first round of the League Cup preceded Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, who were without Bristol City-bound Brett Pitman. Rovers’ most recent result was defeat to Swansea City on Tuesday night, ending their interest in this year’s League Cup.

That Tranmere are still competing at this level this season owes largely to the work of Les Parry; physio-cum-manager who guided the team to safety following the calamitous reign of John Barnes and assistant Jason McAteer at the start of last season.

It’s a far cry from the all-conquering Cup giantkillers from the early noughties. Who will ever forget their “bouncebackability” in overcoming Premier League Southampton at Prenton Park in 2001? Three goals down they went on to famously win 4-3.

Those days are some way off for now but boss Parry has attempted to strengthen his squad in the close season. He fought to get Andy Robinson back at the club following a successful spell on loan from Leeds Utd at the end of last season, but high wages proved a stumbling block for the Merseysiders.

One signing that does look imminent though is that of Northern Ireland striker Sam Morrow. Currently at Coleraine (former club of a certain Mr Shipp), Morrow previously had spells at Ipswich Town and Hibernian. He is thought to be a replacement for Ian Thomas-Moore who seems likely to join his father at Rotherham before the transfer window closes.

Fingers crossed Thomas-Moore gets a move on as Tranmere minus last season’s top goalscorer will certainly be a less potent threat!

Similar to the Thomas-Moore saga, the Daggers have a mini soap opera going on themselves right now. The main protagonist is Paul Benson who looks all but certain to be on his way to Charlton Athletic. The timing is of course not ideal but given Benno’s loyalty and incredible service to the club over the past five years, many fans will surely not begrudge him his big move.

Yet it leaves the forward line in disarray. With Tomlin an injury doubt and allegations surrounding Scott’s personal life, other players will have to carry the can going forward. Scannell came on a substitute at Meadow Lane last Saturday and could offer an option in a more advanced role and we could see Jon Nurse deployed more centrally than we’ve become accustomed to.

With these concerns up top, a lot of emphasis must be placed on keeping things tight at the back. The sloppy errors that led to the two goals conceded at Hillsborough on the opening day will no doubt have been addressed. But for a Craig Westcarr goal last time out, which had a hint of offside to it, the Daggers would have notched up their first clean sheet of the season. So progress is certainly being made.

Saturday promises to be an emotional day all round at Victoria Road. It’s likely to be a tight affair between two sides yet to hit their stride. Needless to say, a scrappy 1-0 win will do very nicely.

Coming up against a strike force of Clinton Morrison and Marcus Tudgay, who both have proven Championship pedigree, with the likes of Neil Mellor and Paul Heffernan on the bench says it all. They have a squad full of very good players and will beat most visitors to their huge ground. Indeed, Morrison obliged with the Owls’ 2nd goal after Scott Doe had minutes earlier diverted a Coke effort into his own net.

Both goals were sloppy from our point of view, and you really can’t give gifts to these sort of teams. Coke was unmarked inside our area to side-foot the ball goalwards from a corner, and the game was over when Teale was afforded too much space to cross for Sedgewick, who in turn fed Morrison for a tap-in. Roberts then had to make a wonderful save from Tudgay’s header to keep us in the game. Dagenham came back into it though, and Vincelot really should have scored from just inside the box with a placed effort.

Josh Scott was introduced to give us more attacking impetus and most of the 2nd half play was in the Owls’ half. Nurse put a free header into the ground and over the bar, McCrory drove into Weaver’s arms and both Lewis and Vincelot screwed long-range efforts wide of the target. You sensed the home side had another gear, but it was encouraging nonetheless.

Midweek saw a League Cup visit to club-thieves MK Dons, and the Daggers built on their 2nd half showing in Sheffield by taking the lead. McCrory bent a lovely free-kick over the wall to give us the lead at the break, with Currie, Scott and Nurse making starts. However, a first win in the competition wasn’t to be and an Ibehre double put us out in the first round for the 4th consecutive season. A superb Easter pass sent the former Orient man clear of Doe to score the first, before Doe’s woefully short backpass put the same man in for the winner.

You have to feel sorry for Doey, who was immaculate at Hillsborough but found his name on the scoresheet for the wrong side, before his misjudgement put us out of the cup. I’m sure he will bounce back given his obvious ability, but we will certainly need to defend better after conceding 4 goals in our first 2 matches. Once Lewis and Vincelot’s fledgling partnership in front of the back 4 starts to bed in you would expect the defence to tighten up.

The sad death of Exeter striker Adam Stansfield meant we were without a game this weekend. To lose your life to cancer at 31 is something that shouldn’t happen to anybody let alone a fit sportsman, and our thoughts are with his family.

We will now be playing catch-up for a few weeks; Notts County are next up and they are currently bottom of the division after two defeats, so a point at Meadow Lane on Saturday would be very welcome. Easier said than done given the quality in their squad but we have the ability to take advantage. It remains to be seen whether we’ll have to do it without Josh Scott – a well-known rag has reported a rather unsavoury incident involving Josh although we will wait for more reliable information before discussing it. If he isn’t available, a lot of pressure will be on Gavin Tomlin after his ineffectual debut but his pre-season form was excellent so you would imagine goals are just around the corner for him.

Up the Daggers!

Last time out we picked 2 teams in League 2, and both of them agonisingly denied us a return. Firstly Rotherham’s patchy home form meant they couldn’t sustain a challenge, and Bury’s complete capitulation from 2nd in February to nowhere in May snatched away our each-way chances.

Looking at the transfer market, I can’t see Aldershot being as strong after the loss of Hudson and Donnelly, and it is probably too much to ask for Morecambe to improve again this season. Bradford have been installed as favourites with Peter Taylor’s revolution in full swing, and 3rd favourites Wycombe look good to mount a promotion push after making several shrewd signings. We were very close to backing Shrewsbury Town at 16/1 due to their impressive list of signings and installation of fans’ favourite Graham Turner as manager, however their lack of a top goalscorer is a worry.

Therefore we’re having half a point each-way on Port Vale at 14/1. They had a big bonus in holding onto striker Marc Richards, and have added namesake Justin Richards to help share the goals. Their defence last season was miserly and will form the basis of their push. Although there are slightly better odds elsewhere, we’ve gone with PaddyPower’s 4 places on the each-way market rather than the usual 3. For those who like to spread their interest, Northampton at 12/1 are also worth a look.

In our very own League 1 (still sounds great, doesn’t it?), Southampton have rightly been installed as favourites but are much too short to back. Sheffield Wednesday’s array of talent makes them worthy 2nd favourites, and if everything goes as expected you would imagine everybody else is fighting for 3rd downwards. However the rest of the division looks quite open and even teams like Brentford at 40/1 or Leyton Orient at 80/1 could spring a surprise and push towards the playoffs.

However they are unlikely to trouble the automatic places and so we’re going for half a point on Huddersfield Town each-way at 8/1. Only 3 places paid on this one with Coral but they definitely have the quality with good signings added to an already impressive squad.

In the Championship, Gordon Strachan’s mini-Scotland outfit are favourites followed by last season’s surprise package Nottingham Forest. However there are lots of contenders for the promotion spaces, with QPR adding quality to a squad which Neil Warnock had already invigorated, and Reading coming off the back of a brilliant end to last season.

We’re going to side with Bristol City though for our each-way chance. They finished close behind the Royals last season in 10th and have added David James, Nicky Hunt, Albert Adomah and Sam Vokes. Although they can be found at 20/1, we’ll take Blue Square’s 16/1 with the offer of 4 places.

Down to the Conference, and Luton are again favourites to win the division. They should manage to get out this time around, but big-spending Crawley will be gunning for them. Newly relegated Grimsby and Darlington are also short odds for an immediate return to the Football League but as we know, the ex-League sides often find it tough going.

However one ex-League side who can finally climb back out of non-league are York City. They finished 5th last time after being outsiders for the title at one stage, but find themselves 12/1 for the title this season. Rumours surround the future of star striker Brodie but if they can hang onto him until at least January, you can definitely see them hitting the top of the table. Again Blue Square will pay 4 places each-way.

Finally, if anybody is optimistic enough to back all of our selections, the best accumulator odds are with Coral who will pay a whopping 36854/1 on the win! You can also back that each-way, which would return 323/1 if they all come in the top 3 in their respective leagues.

At the back, Anwar Uddin’s departure left a sizeable hole and hopefully the signing of Luke Wilkinson will go some way to filling it. After being released from Bristol City at 17, the 6’2″ centre half certainly fell on his feet with a contract at Premiership Portsmouth. He was given a squad number of 44 with the south coast club but never made a first team appearance. He can at least claim to have played against the very best, having been a substitute in a friendly against Benfica in which he managed to score an own goal. Despite a short loan at Northampton he is yet to make his senior debut but it is believed the management have high hopes for the 18 year old who has signed for 3 years.

A further addition to the back line is Histon left-back Gareth Gwillim. The 27 year old has long been admired in non-league circles and first impressed against the Daggers for Bishop’s Stortford; five years ago the Blues ran out 2-1 winners in an FA Trophy tie at Victoria Road with Gwillim imperious in the visiting defence. His abilities aren’t limited to his own half, and he brings with him a reputation for his excellent set-piece delivery and long throws. He should provide excellent competition for Damien McCrory, or even allow Damien to revert to the left wing position he occupied as a youth team player at Plymouth.

The several new faces in midfield are Stuart Lewis, Danny (J) Green and Damian Scannell. Stuart is still only 22 despite having earnt a good reputation with Stevenage a couple of years ago, where he won England C honours. A move to Gillingham saw him win the League 2 playoff final at Wembley but various injuries meant both his seasons with the Gills were disrupted. This ultimately led to his release but his whole-hearted approach should suit the Daggers down to the ground. He has already spoken of how well he has settled into the club and can also provide cover at right-back.

Damian is another who has had injury problems recently, having suffered from swine flu and a broken metatarsal. Formerly of Fisher and Eastleigh, Southend had high hopes for the pacey winger when they signed him in 2008, and the Daggers will be hoping he can stay fit after being restricted to 23 starts in his 2 and a half years with the Shrimpers. He can play on either wing but seems set to play mainly on the left given recent comments from Still, and he also provides and emergency option up front.

Danny Green number 2, who will forever be cursed with the lengthened name of Danny J Green given our existing player of the same name, was signed back in April from Billericay Town. He is approaching his 20th birthday and is a small but tricky left-sided player. Given the presence of Nurse, Monty and Scannell it seems he may have to bide his time before a first-team appearance comes his way but time is certainly on his side. His former clubs include Harlow and, just like his namesake, Bishop’s Stortford where they played together on a handful of occasions.

Up front, Grays’ 16 year old striker Alex Osborn was snapped up in May and John Still has already stated his ambition that the youngster can graduate to the first team this season. He was picked up by Grays only last season from local club Boca having previously played junior football for Ridgeway Rovers. His first season in senior football yielded 2 goals, against AFC Wimbledon and Forest Green Rovers.

The final confirmed signing is striker Gavin Tomlin from Yeovil Town. Having failed to nail down a place at Gillingham and Brentford earlier in his career, Gavin spent time in non-league with Staines and Fisher, the latter of which brought him under the guidance of current Daggers coach Wayne Burnett. Although Yeovil offered him a new deal which he initially agreed to sign, the offer was later withdrawn and he signed for the Daggers at the end of June. He can play in a variety of positions including on the wing and behind the striker, and has started his Dagenham career in the best possible way with 2 goals in 2 friendly matches so far.

It seems that Duran Reynolds will also be announced as a new signing, the former Southend youth player being given squad number 32 on our most recent list. The lanky blonde defender has previously played for Histon at U16 level and played 7 matches on loan at Grays last season. It seems he could find himself playing for our local rivals again this season, having turned out for the Blues in a friendly this week alongside other Daggers Stephen Demetriou, Alex Osborn and youth teamer Lee Wootton. Another young player to be given a squad number for the first time is defender Femi Ilesanmi who spent last season on loan at Ashford Town (Middx). He will wear 29 but is another who may find himself loaned to Grays for further experience.

Other players to have trialled for the Daggers so far include former Welling right-back Sanchez Ming, Sierra Leonean international Ishmael Kamara, former Eastleigh winger Sam Butler, and former Lille duo Molami Bokoto and Goffin Boyoko. Whether any of these earn a deal remains to be seen.

So the squad has definitely taken shape for the new season, with plenty of competition in every position which we perhaps lacked in recent seasons. Most of the new faces are young lads looking to prove themselves at this level, and with John Still’s record of finding players, you would back most of them to succeed.

His departure didn’t come as a huge surprise given his lack of first team opportunities in recent months led to him being placed on the transfer list after the play-off final.

Signed on a three-year deal from Fisher Athletic in September 2008, Wes had one year left to run on his contract. Restricted to only three starts last season, he became accustomed to bit-part roles as Benno and Josh formed an unbreakable partnership up front.

The arrival of Phil Walsh from Dorchester Town in January further restricted Thomas’ opportunities at Victoria Road. He was eventually moved out on loan to Rushden & Diamonds for the final few weeks of the 2009/10 season.

But the Daggers No. 16′s stop-start season was to hit the buffers again. An injury sustained on his arrival at Nene Park meant he was unable to aid the Diamonds’ Conference promotion push.

Thomas was re-enlisted to the Daggers ranks in the final stages of the season, appearing in the squad for the final regular season game at Darlington. In a game where the Daggers were two goals to the good, Thomas failed to make it on to the pitch that day.

In total, Wes scored three times for the Daggers in 30 appearances; his last goal a crucial one away to Macclesfield Town in October which helped the Daggers to a 2-2 draw.

Still only 23, Wes has a great future ahead of him but most would agree he needs regular football to fulfil his potential. His move to Cheltenham Town is probably right all round. With the ageing Hayles and Alsop released in the close season, Wes has a good shout of becoming a first-team regular at the Robins.

With Phil Walsh making a handful of cameo appearances in the closing months of the season, it seems likely he will be the ‘third’ striker behind Benno and Josh in the striking pecking order. Nursey had his most prolific season to date in a Daggers shirt with eight goals to his name and will undoubtedly be in the mix as a back-up striker too.

But with Wes’ departure and Nwokeji moving to AFC Wimbledon, the Daggers will need to strengthen in the striking department before the season begins on August 7. Murmurings of a possible return of Ben Strevens were quashed after the ex-Brentford man signed for Wycombe Wanderers recently. Alex Osborn penned a three-year deal with the Daggers in May, signing from Grays Athletic, but is surely one for the future and won’t be thrown into action any time soon.

That all means John has some rebuilding work to do in the next few weeks as the Daggers prepare for life in League 1. In what will undoubtedly be a big step up in class, we certainly need some more strength in depth with our strikers.

Finally, all the best to Wes at Cheltenham Town. Thanks for your hard work over the last two years and let’s hope you get a decent run in the team.

Of course the manager has attracted criticism. Fabio was supposed to be the one, the man who could finally lead us to glory, and he came with a sparkling CV sporting trophies from Spain and Italy. The main problem with Capello though, is a lack of plan B. We played 4-4-2, we stuck to it rigidly, and when we needed to change the game he could only muster like-for-like substitutions. And in those situations it seemed he was bent on choosing the man least likely. Shaun Wright-Phillips over Lennon? Emile Heskey over Crouch? Do me a favour. Whilst other teams pick formations which suit the players, or pick players which suit the formation, we do neither.

We are still facing the same problem as 6 years ago, trying to cram Lampard and Gerrard into our side. They have never managed to work together effectively, partly because it isn’t natural to them, and partly because they seem completely unwilling to adapt. So, you either allow both to play off a single striker and sacrifice your width, or you drop one.

Still, Capello can’t shoulder the blame for a group that qualified so emphatically and then failed so dismally at the main event. We put 9 past Croatia in 2 matches who are certainly no mugs, but we barely fashioned a chance against Algeria. We conceded just 6 goals in 10 games, but then defended against Germany like a park side. If Dagenham conceded those goals I’d be absolutely livid. Against better sides we leave ourselves exposed because our full-backs and most of the midfield go forwards, leaving only 2 or 3 players to stop counter-attacks when we inevitably give the ball away with a typically rash pass. And worryingly, the rest never seem to have the legs or inclination to get back and recover.

Does our constant failure at the big tournaments point to deeper issues? Many people say our players play too many matches, but actually the number is comparable to other top sides at the World Cup. Perhaps the fact that our entire squad plays in England is an issue – the demands on the body are clear given the pace and physicality of our game compared to the rest of the world. It isn’t just the English players – how many of this year’s stars have come from the Premiership? Most of the teams with English-based players are out.

This physicality is quite relevant. It is something that is built into our game from an early age. I’m sure many of you will have played youth football and will remember how it is dominated by strength and power. If you’re big you are automatically a defender regardless of skill, the game is about getting it forwards into attacking positions and dominated by the kids who grew faster and can kick it further. 11-a-side games on full-size pitches are the norm even at 10 years old. Players are regularly released by pro clubs for being too small. Everything is geared towards winning, and whilst this mentality is worth having, it is not more important than developing skill.

Compare this to Barcelona’s “La Masia” training centre where, according to Messi, “we trained every day with the ball, I hardly ever ran without a ball at my feet”. Or the Dutch, who play 4-a-side until 9 and 7-a-side until 13. Holland were doing this in the 80s from the ideas of Rinus Michels, and they have continued to evolve. There is a youth coaching diploma, and a star-rating system for academies; training is focussed on the ball. When former Barcelona youth coach Rodolfo Borrell took a job with Liverpool’s academy last year he had a simple verdict on the quality he found upon his arrival: “Unacceptable”.

After our 2nd-round exit at the 1998 World Cup, Howard Wilkinson conducted a review of English football and produced the Charter for Quality, with the aim of improving the technical ability of our young players. The key was that youth development should focus on ability and not results. Clubs had to recruit from their local area, not from all over the country, and coaches from different clubs would meet to discuss training methods, focussing on skill and technique and not putting too much emphasis on strength and stamina. Wilkinson is clearly bitter that his blueprint was chipped away at by the FA and never implemented as he envisaged. He was not replaced when he left in 2002. Sir Trevor Brooking is the closest we have now, but he too is fighting a losing battle as the only real football man at the FA.

The National Football Centre to be built at Burton is another key part of the long-term plan which the FA haven’t delivered. It was first mooted in 2001, and is still not finished. If you look at France with its famed Clairefontaine facility, or Italy and the equally impressive Coverciano, the top footballing nations have a centre which trains the best coaches, and the best young players. Whilst both countries failed at this World Cup, both have recent success we can only dream of. Spain (14,860), Germany (6,570) and France (2,588) all have far more UEFA ‘A’ licence coaches than us (1,010), even though in Spain it requires over 700 hours of work as opposed to 245 in England. The quality of coaching is absolutely key in teaching young players the right habits and the most important aspects of the game.

Having said all that, we should still be doing better with what we have. Whilst our top flight is about fast-paced action, putting teams under constant pressure and exerting physical power, we seem to get caught playing some kind of half-baked continental game at international level. It isn’t as slow as the Spanish, but neither is it as fast as club football. We attempt to keep the ball, then get itchy feet and attempt a 50 yard through-ball. We don’t seem to get people forward as quickly as our club sides, and we don’t seem to work as hard to win it back. If we can’t match the other teams for skill, at least get in their face and force them back.

Looking past the doom and gloom, there does appear to be a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. Our U17 side won the European Championships this year, beating Spain in the final. Hopefully we can turn this generation into one which is fit to carry the hopes of the country. In the meantime, this should be the last time we see the likes of Lampard, Heskey, SWP, Upson, James, Green, Johnson, Carragher. The time has come to start planning for 2014, and that means players like Joe Hart, Jack Rodwell and Adam Johnson.

The close season saw Daggers coach Robbie Garvey take a management role at Braintree Town, and he wasted no time in recruiting two of his former charges for the The Iron’s promotion push in the Conference South. Tommy Tejan-Sie was the first to sign and went on to make 7 appearances, scoring a goal in the 2-0 win over Maidenhead United from his position on the left wing. His excellent performances led to him getting his chance in the Daggers first team upon his return, making 4 appearances.

Harlee Dean joined up with Tommy later in August, spending a two-month period which brought 8 league appearances. Playing mainly in the middle of midfield, he started well but by all accounts faded towards the end of his spell. The experience stood him in good stead though as he made a very accomplished Daggers debut from the bench in the 1-1 draw with Port Vale. He was soon on the move again and spent the rest of the season at Grays Athletic, where he captained the side despite being just 18 years old. It is difficult to impress in a side in such dire straits but he put in some decent displays in his 19 appearances. Tipped as a good prospect not so long ago, he has surprisingly been transfer listed by the Daggers.

Another player to join struggling Grays was Billy Bingham who completed a one-month spell just before Christmas. He played 6 times mainly in midfield but actually made his Daggers debut before his loan move, as a sub in the 3-0 win over Lincoln. The club obviously have high hopes for the former Crystal Palace youngster, having extended his contract until the summer of 2012.

One player who won’t ever get to make his debut in a Dagenham shirt is defender Alex Bentley. He was signed from Fisher last summer and spent time on loan at Ryman League Aveley in December, playing 3 matches in a disjointed spell which saw him in and out of the side. He then stepped up to Conference South Bishop’s Stortford, making 8 appearances, but has now been named as one of three released players along with Hakeem Araba and Mark Nwokeji. Both of these players have suffered with injury throughout the season; Araba in particular missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury, before making a scoring return in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Charlton.

The most recent academy graduate, Stephen Demetriou, was another sent to Aveley in search of his first taste of senior football. Having impressed for the youth side and in behind-closed-doors games against the likes of Spurs, he was handed a contract early in the season and made 3 appearances for The Millers. Further loan spells would be expected next season but don’t bet against Stilly giving yet another youngster a chance at League football, even if it won’t be against his brother Jason who has recently left Leyton Orient.

Whilst never being announced as a Dagenham player by our club, Femi Ilesanmi has been widely regarded as a loan signing from ourselves during his time at Ashford Town (Middx) this season. The lanky defender, who can play either centrally or at left-back, was formerly with AFC Wimbledon before earning a stint with QPR U18s and made 14 league appearances for the Tangeries scoring 2 goals. It remains to be seen whether he ever makes it back to Dagenham after several reserve outings in the first half of last season.

Other players to have been loaned out this season are Mark Nwokeji, who was in and out of Luton’s side over 5 months playing 9 times and scoring once, and Wes Thomas who didn’t actually make it onto the pitch for Rushden after sustaining an injury the day after his arrival!

The most notable first-team player to have a loan spell though was club captain Anwar Uddin. His battle for recovery against a knee injury saw him make 13 appearances for Grays, scoring 1 goal, before injury again robbed him of another 3 months of the season. Battling back to fitness once again, he had a key part to play when injury to Mark Arber, Scott Doe and long-term victim Will Antwi struck in April. His performances belied his lack of matches, and with recent news of his departure to Barnet, it was fitting that he could play a part in our promotion to League One. Good luck Anwar, a Dagenham & Redbridge legend.

It’s perhaps not the blockbuster tie that many would have craved but there will be plenty of those to enjoy as league fixtures next term!

Statistically, the Daggers’ record against the Dons is pretty meek. Three games and three defeats have yielded only one goal to date; Josh Scott’s last minute consolation in a 3-1 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy reverse at Stadium:MK last season.

However, the euphoria engulfing Victoria Road at the moment as the Daggers prepare for their inaugural season as a League 1 outfit could prove to be a real leveller. The Dons were no great shakes last season and finished a mediocre 12th in England’s third tier, some 20 points shy of Huddersfield in the final play-off spot. So despite history not being on our side, this could well be a closer contest than we witnessed last season.

A campaign that began with much promise for MK Dons, especially with the return of Paul Ince for his second managerial spell, imploded spectacularly. The Dons’ last competitive victory arrived on March 9 and was followed by five draws and six defeats. However, in Jermaine Easter they have a proven goalscorer who is not averse to grabbing the headlines, especially in the Carling Cup. During the 2006/07 season Easter, then a Wycombe Wanderers player, scored in every round of the competition up to and including a semi-final showdown with Premier League heavyweights Chelsea. He ominously bagged two goals in last season’s encounter with the Daggers.

Our record in this competition has not been great. Three defeats in three attempts have been chalked up, albeit against tough opposition in Cardiff, Reading and Luton. The closest the Reds came to reaching the second round was two years ago when Reading’s blushes were spared by an 89th minute Noel Hunt goal.

So to the other ties, and due to Championship sides being seeded there are no all-Championship draws at this stage.

Perhaps the tie of the round, at least for the romantics out there, sees Conference champions Stevenage Borough take on 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth. Bradford will no doubt enjoy rubbing shoulders with the big boys again, even if it is just for 90 minutes, as they take on Nottingham Forest at Valley Parade.

A south coast derby sees Southampton host Bournemouth. Despite a hefty points deduction last season, the Saints had an impressive campaign and will surely be favourites to progress here, but the fixture should generate strong local interest. Another fixture worth keeping an eye on is Aldershot against Watford. The Hornets left it late to retain Championship status last season whereas the Shots had an outstanding run in League 2 to finish sixth. With home advantage there is certainly a shout of an upset (that’s if you have any faith left in our predictions!).

Daggers’ League Cup record
2009/10: Cardiff City 3-1 Daggers (Scott 81)
2008/09: Daggers 1-2 Reading (Taiwo 68)
2007/08: Daggers 1-2 Luton Town (Strevens 73)

GK. Chris Dunn (Northampton Town)
The Cobblers stopper is an imposing figure at 6ft 4in, and surely has a big future in the game at only 22. He managed to shut the Daggers out in both matches between the two sides this season, with the highlight being a fabulous save from a Peter Gain volley. He made plenty of other saves though and looked consistently assured under the barrage of crosses we put into the area. Easily the best opposing keeper we’ve seen.

RB. John Johnson (Northampton Town)
It was perhaps obvious in both matches against the Cobblers that their right-back was on loan from a higher level. Indeed 21-year-old John Johnson signed for Northampton on loan in September and played in both matches against the Daggers. Solid defensively and more than capable of making attacking forays, he capped his performance in the 1-0 victory at Victoria Road with a superb curled finish after cutting in from the right flank. He is back at Middlesbrough in an attempt to catch the eye of Gordon Strachan in pre-season and he has every chance of doing so.

LB. Tom Kennedy (Rochdale)
Our first player in agreement with the PFA’s team, Kennedy is an obvious choice. He oozes class with a wand of a left foot which sees him take most of Dale’s set plays, and is more than capable as a defender. He came through the ranks at hometown club Bury before joining Dale, and it is no surprise that Championship side Leicester have nabbed him on a free transfer for next season.

CB. John Thompson (Notts County)
Whilst star names such as Kasper Schmeichel, Ben Davies and Lee Hughes took all the plaudits at County this season, John Thompson was quietly and effectively contributing to them being the meanest defence in the entire division. Very few defenders have dealt with the raw power of Josh Scott this season, but in both matches against ourselves, Thompson was calmness personified as they successfully shut us out. He has made well over 100 appearances for city rivals Nottingham Forest, and also has 3 full Republic of Ireland caps. Still only 28, don’t bet against him adding to those.

CB. Jason Pearce (Bournemouth)
The Cherries’ player of the season last time around was a steadying influence throughout the season with many assured performances at the back. Not the tallest but still only 22, he has now become Bournemouth’s captain. The Cherries only conceded a single goal to the Daggers this season, a Mark Arber penalty, and were otherwise largely subdued by the no-nonsense efforts of Pearce.

RM. Ben Davies (Notts County)
Another player we agree with the PFA about, and another from Notts County, Ben is probably the best player in the division that we have seen. The previous season he had impressed greatly for Shrewsbury, and showed no signs of letting up after his move to the Magpies. Capable of playing anywhere in midfield, he set up County’s first goal for Hughes in our 3-0 drubbing at Meadow Lane, and also scored the first goal in the return match with a superb curling effort from the edge of the box. He should also claim the 2nd goal, a deep free kick which seemed to evade everybody despite Hughes claiming a touch.

LM. Anthony Straker (Aldershot Town)
Straker was one of the biggest reasons behind the Shots claiming a 5-2 win at Victoria Road this season. Up against rookie right-back Nana Ofori-Twumasi, he tore the Chelsea loanee to shreds with raw pace and trickery. He provided the assist for fellow Barbadian Louis Soares to complete the scoring, and although he didn’t have any other direct impact on the result, his constant availability as an outlet provided attacking impetus throughout the match. He also played in the return match and looked impressive as the Shots built a 2-0 lead, only for the Daggers to come back and win 3-2.

CM. Gary Jones (Rochdale)
Rochdale’s record appearance holder only actually managed one outing against the Daggers this season, but his performance in this match along with other televised matches means he is a shoe-in for a central midfield berth. Cool, calm and collected, he rarely gives the ball away and matches that with a tremendous ability to get around the pitch. He scored what proved to be the winner at Spotland against us with a low drive into the bottom corner.

CM. Marvin Bartley (Bournemouth)
Aged just 23, Bartley actually played at centre back in the second game against Dagenham due to injury problems. He could do little about our penalty in a 1-0 win, but otherwise was resolute in denying further goalscoring opportunities typified by a goalline clearance from a Montgomery header. He also provided a tenacious midfield display at Dean Court in the first meeting between the sides, a 0-0 draw, and has quite rightly earned himself a new 2-year contract. He has played for the likes of Hayes and Hampton but the Cherries certainly spotted a gem when they picked him up.

ST. Marvin Morgan (Aldershot Town)
The towering Morgan hit 16 goals this season as Aldershot marched to the playoffs. Like Straker, he was a constant menace in the Shots’ victory at Victoria Road and capped his performance with a goal. He also set up a goal for Jackson and created numerous other chances for his side. He spent his early career in non-league but was recruited by the Shots upon their promotion to the Football League, and is certainly one of the toughest forwards we faced all season.

ST. Adam Le Fondre (Rotherham United)
Le Fondre is a typical goalscorer. He will do nothing for 89 minutes, but as soon as you drop your guard, he will score. The Millers scored 3 goals against us in the League this season, and the boy they call Alfie got them all. He scored a typical poacher’s goal before adding a carefully dispatched penalty in the match at the Don Valley, and then followed it up with the only goal at Victoria Road. Although largely subdued in the playoff final, he has scored 27 league goals and you simply can’t argue with that.

Subs:

Tom Heaton (Rochdale)
Although only playing once against us whilst on loan from Manchester United, Heaton almost single-handedly kept Dale in the match at Victoria Road before we ran out of steam and were beaten.

Lee Collins (Port Vale)
A key member of Vale’s miserly defence, Collins turned in a great performance at Victoria Road before unfortunately making a mistake which led to Scott’s equaliser. He created Haldane’s goal in the return game in another good performance.

Lee Hughes (Notts County)
As painful as it is to admit it, Hughes looked a quality player in both matches against the Daggers. He helped himself to two goals as well as playing the target-man role superbly.

Yannick Bolasie (Barnet)
Another who only played against us once, but Bolasie did more in that one match than most do in two. He ripped makeshift right-back Doe apart in the Bees’ 2-0 win against us at Underhell.

Michael Townsend (Cheltenham Town)
Probably a bit of a surprise selection given Cheltenham’s terrible defensive record this season, but the tall 24-year-old was the key man in a defence that only conceded once against the Daggers, and he made up for that by scoring a guided header at the other end.

Is there anybody you think I’ve missed? Feel free to comment below!

Grimsby Town
Predicted: 18th, Finished: 23rd
We had predicted the Mariners would be slightly less rubbish this season, and technically we were right. Despite amassing 44 points, 3 more than the previous season, they were consigned to the Conference as others around them disgracefully avoided points deductions. They spent the entire season down the wrong end of the table, and just fell short in their attempts to overhaul Barnet at the death.

Hereford United
Predicted: 20th, Finished: 16th
The Bulls were always going to be a bottom-half side after a summer of uninspiring transfer activity upon their relegation from League One. They picked up a bit towards the end of the season to finish safe in 16th, as they once again went loan-crazy with an incredible 11 loan signings through the course of the season. Most of these players actually played very few games, which makes you wonder why they bother. The main success was irritating little scrote Marc Pugh, who unfortunately will be playing against us again next season, this time for Bournemouth.

Lincoln City
Predicted: 15th, Finished: 20th
A poor start was inevitable for the Imps after they were robbed of their best players in the close-season. They acted fast to sack Peter Jackson in September, the club reportedly unhappy with his other work as a film director. Former England B lump Chris Sutton took over the reigns, keeping the club ticking over until the transfer window re-opened. A number of loan signings came into the side, the most successful being Davide Somma who hit 9 goals in 14 games to keep them well out of harm’s way.

Macclesfield Town
Predicted: 24th, Finished: 19th
This season will always be remembered for events off the pitch than those on it. On 3rd March 2010, Silkmen manager Keith Alexander tragically died aged just 53. On the pitch, the club battled hard against the drop and managed to stay well clear despite their small budget. Gary Simpson did a very good job as caretaker but has been unfairly penalised for his success by being handed the job on a full-time basis. Next season will be yet another struggle.

Morecambe
Predicted: 6th, Finished: 4th
We turned out to be pretty much bang on with our predictions for Morecambe’s season, but early on it seemed as if that faith was misplaced. Fourteen games in and with just one win registered, it seemed like the Shrimps could be shock candidates for the drop. However, if the season had started at that point, Morecambe would have been automatically promoted such was their superb form. A playoff place was just reward for their efforts, although everybody knows what happened next at the hands of the Daggers. With a touch more defensive steel (even Barnet in 21st conceded less), they could be challengers next time around.

Northampton Town
Predicted: 4th, Finished: 11th
The only relegated side we placed anywhere near the promotion picture, the Cobblers were indeed the closest but fell just short in a 5-way scramble for the final playoff spot. Manager Ian Sampson had them playing some decent stuff despite having roly-poly striker Akinfenwa to aim at should they have wished, and indeed they were one of the few sides to dispatch the Daggers twice. Big Bayo has left now, taking 17 goals with him, but exciting young forward Billy McKay could fire them into League One next season. They will need to keep the pies away from Dean Beckwith though.

Notts County
Predicted: 3rd, Finished: 1st
Despite the circus that surrounded County, including the arrival and departure of Sol and Sven, they managed to secure the title when Steve Cotterill’s arrival as manager signalled a prolific run of form. After we had written they were a couple of players short of winning the title, they went and signed Kasper Schmeichel, Johnnie Jackson and Matt Ritchie. Job done. When it transpired that Munto Finance was all smoke and mirrors, it was left to new chairmen Peter Trembling and then Ray Trew to bail them out financially. It seems unlikely the club can actually afford the outlay it has made to purchase promotion and, to top it off, one of our most hated men Jim Rodwell is also involved behind the scenes.

Port Vale
Predicted: 16th, Finished: 10th
Vale defied expectations to mount a serious playoff push, and it was in no small part down to Marc Richards’ most prolific season to date. 20 league goals was easily enough to make him one of the most feared strikers in the division, and not just because he looks like a brute. At the other end the defence was as tight as a nun’s one, meaning they were beaten only 12 times all season, the second-lowest in the division.

Rochdale
Predicted: 5th, Finished: 3rd
It will still wrankle with most Daggers fans that Dale’s win over ourselves in November saw them leapfrog us into top spot and sent us spiralling down the table. Thankfully, we recovered suitably and although Rochdale then went on a run crushing all in their path, they ultimately faltered. At one point around March they were 12 points clear (albeit having played more games), and ended up a whopping 11 points off the top. Automatic promotion was still the end result, but it was a quite spectacular implosion. Still, Keith Hill has them playing attractive, attacking football at their best and they played most sides off the pitch in the middle part of the season. Sadly they are already losing their good young players and with a small budget like ourselves, we could again be battling each other next year.

Rotherham United
Predicted: 1st, Finished: 5th
The Millers did indeed replace striker Reuben Reid – with £100,000, 27-goal hitman Adam Le Fondre. It wasn’t enough – despite a Rolls Royce side on paper, they couldn’t get into the automatic promotion slots and failed in the playoffs. Some key players such as Ellison and Mills had slight dips and they weren’t helped by the absolute cabbage patch they play on in a stadium which swallows the atmosphere. In the end home form let them down with nobody other than the exotically named one scoring any goals.

Shrewsbury Town
Predicted: 8th, Finished: 12th
Mind-bogglingly average. That is the one way to describe a season where home record mirrored away record, and their goal difference was +1. Slapped right in the middle of the table, there isn’t really a lot else to say. Oh, Paul Simpson lost his job.

Torquay United
Predicted: 14th, Finished: 17th
The Gulls took a while to adjust to League Two and spent the first few months of the season flirting with relegation, the saucy minx. Once they’d stopped cocking around, they spent December onwards in top-half form and settled safely in 17th. Substantial financial (ooh, a rhyme!) losses in recent seasons may eventually catch up with them, but for now they look a decent bet to push for the playoffs next time.

Even if I do say so myself, most of these predictions weren’t bad!